Full Disclosure
by jtav
Summary: Thirty years after the Reaper War, Miranda has it all: money, power and a beautiful daughter. She lacks one  thing only: the ability to keep her past private. Liara/Miranda


_Bekenstein, 2216_

"Councilor Alenko to see you, ma'am."

Miranda frowned. She and Kaidan had never gotten along very well, even after the end of the war when she assumed the reins of what remained of her father's company. There was too much of Cerberus left in her and too much of the Alliance left in him. So whatever had brought him here must be big. And "big" tended to be bad for business, her personal happiness, or both. "Show him in."

The years had been kind to Kaidan. His hair had long since faded to silver, but it was curly and thick as ever, and his body was still lean and hard. Ex-Alliance men couldn't help but age gracefully; Jacob was just the same, if perhaps with a bit less hair. Kaidan's eyes were also shrewd and intelligent. He had been a soldier and her reluctant comrade-in-arms but now he was the public voice of humanity. She'd best be on her guard. "Kaidan."

"Miranda." He smiled, and it was a small genuine smile that unnerved her more than a politician's false grin. There were times she thought Kaidan was so good at politics precisely because he hated backslapping and grandstanding. People responded to sincerity and warmth. "How are Liara and Erina?"

So he wanted to observe the niceties first. She could work with that. "They're fine. Liara's planning an expedition to Joab. Erina's walking and talking finally, poking her nose in everything. Curious as her mother."

His eyes widened. "Isn't she four?"

"The joys of an asari daughter."

"Heh. Makes me glad I'm strictly humans only. No offense."

"None taken." Miranda leaned forward. "But we both know you didn't come here to ask after my family and I have a meeting with one of my project leads in an hour, so tell me what was so important that you had to come in person."

"We caught Archer this morning."

Her office was suddenly very still. _Gavin. They got Gavin._ After the defeat of the Reapers and the death of the Illusive Man, the Spectres and select Alliance marines had hunted down and systematically dismantled the remaining Cerberus cells. Lawson Biomedical had discreetly recruited many of the low-level scientists judged both useful and unindoctrinated, but the Alliance had wanted to make an example of the leadership of the organization they saw as nearly destroying humanity. Thirty years later, and only Gavin had evaded capture or death. Until now. "Another trial. Great."

"That's, ah, what I wanted to talk about." He shifted in his seat. "We want him to answer for everything he's done, not just the indoctrination research. Overlord included. His brother deserves that much."

"And I was there when the whole thing imploded and you want copies of my reports to assist in the prosecution." Miranda kept her voice even with the ease of long practice, but her stomach twisted in knots. Her role in the destruction of Project Overlord was well known. Her other ties to the project were secret to all but a handful of people—one of whom was married to the man sitting across from her. _Please, Shepard, have kept your damn mouth shut for once in your life._

"Well, those, but you're not unique. Shepard, Garrus, and Jacob were there too." He looked at her, and for a moment she could see not just the Councilor, but the man who had spearheaded the defense of Terra Nova thirty years ago. "I know that you were the head of Overlord before you were moved to Lazarus, and I know that you never throw anything away. I want your notes and your testimony, if it comes to that."

Of course she wouldn't be that lucky. Miranda had never been lucky. She'd made up for it by being brilliant instead, but there were times she wished for Shepard's nearly miraculous talent for making things go her way. Now was definitely one of them. "This is the part where I remind you I've been pardoned for anything I may or may not have done while in Cerberus' employ, and that I can bury this investigation in red tape should I so choose."

"Nobody's suggesting bringing you up on charges. Hell, Jane owes you her life about sixteen times over. And I'd think you'd want to see that bastard brought down more than anyone. Jane told me what happened on Aite. To hear her tell it, it's a miracle you didn't beat Archer to a pulp when you found out how he'd applied your work." His eyes darkened. "And I thought maybe you'd changed enough that you'd feel the slightest bit sorry for your part in this."

"'My part in this?' I suggested having a human interface with a VI, but that contraption was born out of Archer's stupidity and fear. Blame him. Not me. If I hand over those documents, they'll be leaked to the press before the day's out—and don't try to deny it—and the media will have a splendid time savaging me and this company again. They won't say anything outright of course. An insinuation here, a pointed question there, just enough to suggest that I deserve the same fate as every other high-ranking Cerberus officer. There will be calls for my resignation. The scandal will die down, as all scandals do. Lawson Biomedical is too profitable and has saved too many lives. And I am Lawson Biomedical. But until that scandal does die down, it's going to be that much harder to do business." _Not to mention what it would do to my daughter._ "So you'll excuse me if I don't volunteer to make my life a living hell just to suit your notions of justice."

"Well, someone has to look out for the little guy," he muttered darkly. "I hear you on the media. They dogged Jane for years. Died down a little after she did that interview with Emily Wong." He brightened. "Ever thought about sitting down for one yourself? I mean, when it comes to your time with Cerberus, you turn into Mystery Woman. Makes the sharks even more desperate. Maybe they'd calm down if you told your side of the story. Besides, Cerberus' victims deserve the truth."

_And the Council and AIS would just love to know where the last of the bodies are buried. _Miranda rubbed her temples. It wasn't the first time someone had suggested she discussed her past publicly. Some, like Kaidan, even had altruistic motives. But Cerberus was dead, surviving only in parts of her staff and fugitives like Archer. Everyone who had a right to the information already knew. Those clamoring for gossip weren't interested in the truth. Her detractors wanted to paint her as a monster and destroy everything she'd done to advance humanity and the galaxy as a whole. They'd even call it justice. Her supporters would leap to her defense, declaring that she had been misguided and misled by the Illusive Man's charisma. She wasn't capable of the kinds of atrocities Archer had committed. The truth was more complicated. The truth was always more complicated. But no one ever cared about that.

Miranda smiled sweetly, falsely. "I'll take that under advisement, Councilor."

Kaidan grimaced. "Sure you will."

The rest of the day passed in a haze of meetings. The newest model of cybernetic eyes was a month ahead of schedule. The Illium customs office was proving to be unusually recalcitrant and would require additional bribes. Aldrin Labs was still trying and failing to plant spy software in the LB system. Amateurs. But at the back of her mind was the tangle of images that comprised her life with Cerberus. Raising the dead, saving the galaxy, executing traitors, controlling geth. All of it.

It was almost nightfall when she arrived home. It wasn't especially large or elaborate by Bekenstein standards—which was to say that it required only a staff of four rather than a few dozen to maintain. All around her were the mementos of the life she and Liara had carved for themselves after the Reaper War: the remnants of Liara's artifact collection in glass cases, a piano Miranda had bought over twenty years ago when Shepard insisted that she needed a hobby, a minor Matisse she'd gotten Liara as a surprise. There are also more recent, less refined additions. A copy of _Parenting the Asari Child: What Humans Need to Know_ left open on the couch, a half-completed application to Bekenstein's most exclusive preschool, a plush pyjak lying discarded on the floor. Miranda picked up the last, torn between affection and exasperation. She was going to have to have a talk with Erina's nanny about putting the toys away.

"Dada?" said a sleepy voice from the doorway.

Miranda hesitated for a fraction of instant before looking over. Of all the adjustments she had to make in becoming a parent, the sheer strangeness of being father instead of mother was the one that had taken the most getting used to. Erina regarded her through half-closed eyes the exact color of Miranda's own. Liara stood behind her, watching with open indulgence. "She wanted some juice," she said with a shrug. "And to see, you, I think."

Something melted inside Miranda. She didn't remember this period of her own childhood, but she had dreaded contact with Bernard Lawson for as long as she could remember. She'd vowed to do better with her own daughter. It was good to know she was succeeding on at least one front. "Come here."

Erina toddled forward, and Miranda dropped to her knees to take her in her arms. She was a study in contradictions, all plump cheeks and bony elbows. "I'm happy to see you too, but it's past your bedtime. Be a good little girl and go to bed."

"Story?" Erina looked up at her with deceptively innocent eyes. Honestly, when the girl was old enough, she would probably make a career out of selling hygiene products to vorcha.

"No, I will not read you a story." Miranda softened. "I'll read you your favorite tomorrow though. And I'll even do the voices. But you have to get your juice and go to bed."

Liara took her daughter by the hand, and smiled at Miranda. "The terror of Milgrom, reading bedtime stories to her daughter? You make me wish I was still the Shadow Broker. Someone would pay a fortune to be able to blackmail you with this."

Miranda glared at her. "Come back when you're done? I've had the day from h—a rough day."

Miranda settled on the couch, and picked up the application for the Brightstone-T'Mala Academy. It would be another decade before Erina was ready for preschool, but the high asari population meant a long waiting list. The daughters of ambassadors and billionaires went here, and Miranda went to have nothing but the best for her daughter. Most of the questions were standard biographical information, but a few caused her to raise an eyebrow. "'Describe any social experience your child has had.' Does conning everyone within a five kilometer radius count?"

"You just say that because she has you wrapped around her finger. And she made me swear to remind you about the story when I put her down for the night." Liara sat beside her. "Now, does this rough day of yours have anything to do with Gavin Archer's capture and the Council wanting copies of all your notes on Project Overlord?"

Miranda started. "Are you entirely certain you're not still the Shadow Broker?"

"Just because I went back to teaching doesn't mean all my contacts just vanished. Kaidan's office has been a zoo. I'd hand over those files if I were you."

"Excuse me? I thought you were supposed to be on my side. Do you want Westerlund news camping out on our doorstep?"

"That's what the security mechs are for," Liara said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I had quite a bit of information on Dr. Archer in the old days. The yahg was in the process of putting a mole into the cell when David went mad. Dr. Archer was always the sort to blame others for his own failures. He'll blame you."

"And, hopefully, any jury worth its salt will be able to see him for what he is." Miranda ran her fingers through her hair. "I should have seen Gavin for what he was. Smart, but he always was sloppy under pressure. I should've pressed harder for Marcia Prenley to relieve me. She was always a bit plodding and pedestrian, but completely unflappable. I was working on a program to translate geth speech so we could manipulate them as Sovereign had done. Only a fool would leap to fusing a mind of questionable stability with a VI. Damn it! I was in charge of personnel. Not guilty, just responsible." She bowed her head. "And no one cares about the difference."

"I care." Liara placed two fingers under Miranda's chin and tilted it upward. "If there's one thing I learned as a broker, it was that who was using the information and how it was interpreted was far more important than the actual facts. We need to get out in front the story and shape it."

Miranda managed a weak smile of her own. "You never should've gone back to archaeology. But I hate telling them the same stupid lies over and over. Archer is a craven idiot, but we weren't all like that. Lazarus was good. Stopping the Collectors was good. But no, Cerberus has to be remembered as a pack of mustache-twirling villains so people can sleep comfortably at night. Half the galaxy thinks I should be executed, and the other half thinks that I was a poor, misguided fool. It doesn't matter how many documents I release. Everyone made up their minds about me a long time ago. And I don't plan to squander my privacy on something as petty as my reputation. Let people pay your successor if they really want to know about my time with Cerberus."

"Then I assume you have a plan of your own?"

"Of course I do." Miranda smile turned genuine. "I'm going to remind this galaxy exactly how much it needs Miranda Lawson."

* * *

><p>Miranda had never liked press conferences. They were performances of the worst kind, and Shepard had always been the theatrical one. Still, duty called. She surveyed the sea of faces assembled before her. The same reporters as always. Some watch her with eager curiosity, some thoughtfully, some with barely contained contempt. But they all wanted to know what was next for Lawson Biomedical. She cleared her throat.<p>

"Humanity has fought a losing war with dementia for centuries. We believed the greybox to be our secret weapon, but the risk of viruses and inability to perform maintenance doomed them to be the tools of desperate spies, thieves and researchers. Until now." She tapped a button on her omni-tool, and a 3-D model of what appeared to be a larger, paler version of a greybox. "The neuromechanical mnemonic enhancer is equipped with special self-repair and maintenance nanites. Should updates or more extensive repair be required, additional, more specialized nanites can be injected. With proper care, the device could function uninterrupted for over a century."

As she explained the science behind the new discovery, Miranda found herself falling into a familiar, almost ecstatic, state. This was the advancement of humanity she had so craved even as a teenager. Another problem solved by ingenuity and a willingness to think outside the box. Cerberus was dead in name, but the ideals lived on in her. There was no need for recklessness or stupid cruelty papered over with devotion to the Cause. There was only success. Those who hated her called her the Illusive Woman behind her back, but her vision of human dominance would be achieved through technology instead of terror.

The questions were largely expected. Yes, the new greyboxes would continue working while being repaired. No, the nanites were in no way related to the ones that caused indoctrination. Mind control would not be possible. Current encryption methods were not compatible with the new models, but they hoped to release an update allowing them within six months. Nothing she wasn't prepared for. Until…

"Do you have any comment on the allegations that you're stonewalling Council authorities by five withholding documents relating to Gavin Archer and his infamous Overlord Project?"

Miranda stiffened almost imperceptibly. "I assure you I and the rest of Lawson Biomedical cooperate with the law to the fullest extent possible." Well, it was true from a certain point of view. "I don't see how any further comment is necessary."

"So my source saying that you refused a direct request to hand over those documents was misinformed?"

_Damn you, Kaidan. You and I are going to have a very long chat._ "I think you'll find no record of any requests made to my office." And with that she steered the conversation back to greyboxes. It was true; the reporter would find no record of an official request for information. With luck, the incident would remain nothing more than speculation and rumor for the time being. But she would have to deal with the Councilor.

As it happened, she never got the chance. The reporter's comlink beeped, and the crowd twittered nervously. "Go ahead and take that," Miranda said with a predatory smile.

The reporter had the good grace to blush, but he turned pale as he listened to the message. "That was my Citadel bureau. Apparently Gavin Archer got himself a lawyer and is saying you were his superior officer during the Overlord project." It was his turn to give a predatory smile. "I don't suppose you have any comment on that, Ms. Lawson?"

* * *

><p>Miranda had been stalked by the press before. It was part of being a controversial businesswoman and war hero. The tabloids had offered a small fortune for Erina's baby pictures before Miranda's lawyers had crushed them. But this was… ridiculous. Dozens of camera drones hovered in the air at the perimeter of the property, and skycars bearing the logos of a half-dozen news organizations seemed to have set up permanent camp. Erina watched them all with undisguised wonder. "Pretty."<p>

Liara's lips quirked upward. "Our daughter has the makings of a media darling."

"Glad you can joke about this. Damn it! You were right. We should have done a better job getting out in front of this story." Miranda paced the length of the living room. "It'll pass. It always does. A few more mechs should discourage the paparazzi. I'll arrange for the board to hold a vote of confidence. That ought to forestall any calls from my resignation. And if we keep information about the greyboxes flowing at a steady pace—"

Miranda's comlink went off. "Yes?" she asked struggling to keep the irritation from her voice.

"Ms. Lawson. This is Belaya T'Mara. I wanted to let you know that we received Erina's application and—"

Miranda went cold. The headmaster would never call just to confirm application receipt. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sure you're aware of the recent… controversy. It's making some members of the board of trustees nervous. And several of our staff members are survivors of the TRAPDOOR project."

"I never had anything to do with TRAPDOOR. And your board knew what I was long before I sent in an application."

"Yes, but it's not good for people to be _reminded _of it. And there's so much rumor and insinuation floating around. And you understand that if we give a spot to the daughter of a former Cerberus officer in the current political climate that it could go very badly for us."

It took Miranda several long moments to process T'Mara's words. "Are you denying my daughter a slot because of me?"

"Only temporarily. When things die down…"

But Miranda scarcely heard her. The gossip-mongering had never bothered her. People had stared after her and whispered behind her back all her life. This was simply more of the same. And Liara had done too much as the Shadow Broker to hold the galaxy together for anyone to dare question her. Miranda had believed that she could sweep away all opposition and give her daughter the life she deserved. But the worst excesses of Cerberus still dogged footsteps. And now those she loved would pay.

She was aware of exchanging a few more pointless words before hanging up. Erina had turned from the crowd outside and was now watching her. "You sad?"

Miranda took her daughter in her arms, and Erina buried her face in her neck. "Not sad. Angry. Frustrated. But not sad." She looked at Liara. "This has to stop. What if she's getting ready to start college the next time something like this happens? She has to have nothing but the best. I promised."

"Best!" Erina repeated.

"If I were still the Shadow Broker, I'd arrange for a blitzkrieg of positive media coverage. Leak a few classified documents detailing your efforts to bring down the Illusive Man. Of course, that would put a damper on your desire to keep your past with Cerberus private."

"Better to sacrifice my past than her future." The words came out surprisingly easily. And then, like the last piece of the puzzle falling into place, she knew how to proceed. "I have one more phone call to make."

"Miranda, do you have any idea what time it is here?" Kaidan's voice was thick with sleep.

"After the circus you've created, I consider this letting you off easy." She looked down at Erina. "Put Shepard on. I want to ask her what to expect from an interview with Emily Wong."


End file.
